


A Better World...

by KaitlynGreatlyn



Series: Justice Lords Fics [1]
Category: DCU, Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Could Be Canon, Episode: s02e11-12 A Better World, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Justice Lords Universe, One-Sided Relationship, Wally West Whump, cameos galore, i like making myself sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 10:08:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30137943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaitlynGreatlyn/pseuds/KaitlynGreatlyn
Summary: Prologue to the Justice League episode 'A Better World'.A look into the minds of the Justice League when they lost their heart and became the Justice Lords.
Relationships: Wally West & Everyone
Series: Justice Lords Fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2223177
Kudos: 10





	A Better World...

The batcave was quiet except for Batman, himself, looking at his monitors, he was watching his city - the sun was out, but he couldn’t stop himself from diving into his work. There was too much to think about. 

A man approached Batman from behind.

“Bruce…” There was silence from the older man, “His funeral is today.” 

Batman didn’t look up and Nightwing sighed, “Bruce, you have to go.”

“I don’t have to do anything. I’m very busy.” He typed more on his computer. 

“Alfred says you’re not eating. You know he wouldn’t have liked that…” Nightwing looked down, “He's not coming back-”

Batman punched the monitor board, standing up and turning around in a cold fury, “You think I don’t know that Dick? I was there holding his neck together as he bled out.” 

Nightwing put a hand on his shoulder, “Bruce, he was my best friend, I understand. I know what it’s like and I know you promised Barry-” Batman pulled away and Nightwing continued, “You couldn’t have done anything. You didn’t know he would take up the mantle of the Flash. You couldn’t have known that he would end up fighting more than the rogues. You couldn’t have known any of this was going to happen. How could you have?”

“Because I’m supposed to.” Batman leaned over the batcomputer, “I’m Batman.”

“Whatever, beat yourself up here.” Nightwing said frustrated at his former mentor’s arrogance, “It’s not going to bring him back.”

Batman didn’t watch his former protege leave. He looked down at his dashboard feeling angry, _Barry._

Barry knew he was going to die at the hands of Zoom and the last thing he asked of Batman was to keep an eye on the 18 year old Wallace West. He had retired as Kid Flash because he was slowing down. Batman offered his resources to get his speed back, Batman helped him to make sure his speed wouldn’t kill him - how was he supposed to know that would one day lead to his death at the hands of Lex Luthor?

_I’m sorry._

There was not a dry eye in Central City when word came through - the president of the United States had ordered the death of their hero. The hero they loved was gone forever.

The funeral grounds were packed with loved ones, but not just crying fans of the Flash, there were also all the people that Wallace West had touched the hearts of. The young forensic scientist who volunteered at orphanages and would give up the clothes on his back for anyone in need.

All the people that loved Wallace West and the Flash were there - always in the back of their mind they wondered if the genius young man and the happy go lucky superhero were one in the same. They got their confirmation in the worst way possible. 

Nightwing walked to his seat - he was out of costume, it was how Wally would have wanted it. He still remembered when he told Kid Flash his secret identity, he didn’t believe that this mischievous young sidekick was the smug orphan adopted by Bruce Wayne. A hand was on his shoulder, he turned to see Roy Harper. Dick’s eyes watered and he pulled the boy into a long needed hug, “Only he could reunite us with a funeral.” Roy laughed.

“I always thought you’d be first.” Dick laughed, wiping away a tear.

“Didn’t we all?” Roy laughed and looked at the casket that was on display and the large blown up photo of their friend, “We should have-”

“Yeah.” Dick interrupted, “We should have.”

The words were unspoken. The three were thick as thieves throughout their sidekick years, each trying to prove themselves as the heroes they were destined to become.

Then Robin became Nightwing and Speedy was lost to addiction. 

The two split up from the group and tried to be independent, but Flash would never let them forget him.

_“You think you can escape the fastest kid alive?”_

Kid Flash, the kid that became the best of them. Losing his powers, being forced to retire, then returning faster than ever, getting rid of the man who killed his uncle, taking up the mantle of his mentor, and becoming a founding member of the Justice League. 

Wally was untouchable, but no matter how big he was - he was never too far away.

“He always knew how to get a crowd.”

No one would miss out on the funeral - no one wanted to believe it.

The entire Central City Police Department, kids from the orphanage, restaurant workers, heroes of all sorts, strangers from the streets - even his Rogue gallery had escaped prison and psych wards to be there, not that anyone would fault them on a day like today. 

Dick smiled softly, “He did, didn’t he?”

An older woman stepped to the front, her red hair was graying and her green eyes were dull with sadness, “Thank you all for coming.” This wasn’t the first time Iris Allen had buried a Flash, but it was just as hard the second time, “Today we don’t mourn the loss of a hero, we remember the life of a friend. Wally, was my nephew, and from a young age the only thing he wanted to do was make people smile. He didn’t have the best upbringing, but he would never let anyone know that, because he just wanted to spread joy-” She had teared up, an elderly man standing up and helping her continue her speech. The man wore a silver helmet that let everyone know who he was. The speech was beautiful and represented Wally’s life well, but if he was there, he would be thanking the police officers and firefighters who worked alongside him during his missions. Sure, he would sprinkle in some brags, but that’s not what he was a hero for. He just wanted to save as many people as he could and spread a message of joy.

 _“Of course the babes are always worth it.”_ He would have said and winked to the girls in the crowd. They would have rolled their eyes, but smiled fondly.

When the funeral ended - the five justice league who showed up and one old Flash helped lower the casket into the ground. The crowd slowly backed away from the grave, leaving gifts and flowers for the beloved fallen hero. 

It was hard to leave the grave, Dick and Roy escorted Iris to the reception. The Justice League followed behind reluctantly leaving the grave, but it was harder to stay there, especially as dark clouds gathered ahead - it was like the sky itself was upset with the loss down below. 

When the crowd was gone and the gravestone alone, one dark silhouette emerged from his hiding spot to approach the newly covered grave.

The Allen family had received an anonymous donation for the funeral and gravestone, even though there was a world of people who would have donated out of their own pocket - the donation was too big to ignore. The grave was worthy of him, the flowers and gifts making the huge gravestone nearly invisible.

He moved aside some of the gifts to see the engraving.

**Wallace West**  
**The Flash**  
**A Friend To All**

He put the gifts back and avoided looking at his dates - he didn’t want to remember how young he was, how much he had been through in his short life, and how much he hadn’t had the chance to do.

Next to the grave was another, a more modest resting space, but for another one of Batman’s friends. The grave of Wally’s uncle - his secret identity hidden in his death. 

“I thought I would find you here.”

He didn't turn to know that it was Manhunter, the quiet man didn’t say anything.

“It's alright to grieve, Batman. We all have experienced a loss.” Manhunter said placing a gentle hand on Batman's shoulder, “We lost a member of our family.” When Manhunter opened up to the team, Flash had been the first to welcome him with open arms saying that as a team, they were a family. Manhunter learned so much from the Flash about humans and culture, but he would never be able to repay the younger man, “He wouldn’t want us to mourn. He’d want us to stay together.”

“I’d like to be alone.” 

Manhunter felt the grief rolling off his friend and lowered his hand. He walked off, but turned saying intensely, “I assure you, I won’t lose the rest of my family again.”

Batman was once again alone, he kneeled next to his tombstone placing a hand on his name. 

His final moments were etched into his brain alongside his parents’ death and Jason’s death. He could feel the blood on his hands and his final words were stuck in his head.

_“Please don’t leave me.”_

“I won’t.” Batman said feeling the rain drip down his cheeks, even though the rain hadn’t come down yet. There was not a lot he could do for Jason or his parents, but… 

“I won’t leave you Wally and I swear I won’t lose you again.”

**Author's Note:**

> Can be seen as platonic or romantic - honestly to any of the characters x Flash. He's just a good boy and is CANONICALLY the HEART of the Justice League. It's just great. TT^TT
> 
> An expanded rewrite of a 5 year old fan fiction. You can check out the old work still public on my page. 
> 
> It's okay, but definitely not as good as it could be. I tried my best and I am open to critiques. 
> 
> There will be 2 more chapters following the thoughts of the rest of the Team.


End file.
